Tufting machine and looper for producing j-loops



1954 E. B. BROADRICK TUFTING MACHINE AND LOOPER FOR PRODUCING J-LOOPS Filed March 15 1961 INVENTOR ED B. BROADRICK an g- United States Patent 3,152,563 TUFTHNG MACHHNE AND LGUPER FUR FRUDUCENG .i-LOQIS Ed R. Broadrielr, Tiger, Ga, assignor to James Lees and Sons Company, Bridgeport, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 95,870 3 Claims. (Cl. 112-79) This invention pertains to machines for tufting pile fabric and more particularly to an improved looper for a multineedle tufting machine which produces a J tuft in a cut pile fabric.

In order to achieve an appearance effect in a cut pile tufted fabric in which some of the pile projections are longer than others, I propose to cut the loops off-center, or in other words, at a point which is not the lowest portion of the bight of yarn forming the loop. Cutting the loop on its side instead of directly on the bottom provides two pile yarn projections one of which is longer than the other. In the case of a hard twist yarn, unusual effects can be achieved by the unequal pulling down or twisting of one of the tuft legs.

A primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a cut pile tufting machine having at least one cut pile looper capable of cutting loop pile projections into unequal tuft legs.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved insert for a cut pile looper in a tufting machine which offsets the yarn loops around the shank of the looper.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tufted pile fabric having at least one loop formed with unequal leg lengths.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a pile fabric tufting machine constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged detail of one of the loopers used in the machine of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional detail as seen at 3-3 of FIGURE 2 showing the looper engaged in a single loop of a tufted pile fabric.

The invention comprises essentially the provision of an offset bar which may be formed integrally with or inserted in the conventional cutting looper of a tufting machine. Since the bar is positioned at one side of the looper away from the cutting knife, a long and short leg will be formed on every loop which is cut thereby.

A conventional tufting machine which preferably has several hundred needles controlling individual yarns, comprises a throat plate 5 and a frame member 6 over which the backing fabric F travels from a supply source, not shown, over a feed roll 7 and a take-up roll 8. The tufting machine is provided with a crankshaft housing 9 in which a crankshaft 10 is journaled and which vertically oscillates a needle bar 11 through rods 12 and crank arms 13. The needle bar 11 is provided with a plurality of needles 15 which reciprocate vertically through the fabric F to carry the pile yarns 17 through the fabric. The needle bar is provided with the conventional yarn jerker 18 and a presser foot 19 is supported from the stationary upper housing 9 by means of brackets 20.

When the needle bar oscillates downwardly to penetrate the backing fabric F and to insert a series of pile yarns therethrough, a series of loopers 21 mounted on a looper rockshaft 22 engages each of the loops of yarn carried by the needles. Each of the loopers 21 carries several loops on the looper bill 23 of the looper until the leading loops are cut by engagement with a knife or blade 24 mounted on a shaft 25. If the bill of the looper 23 is of conventional shape and dimensions, the knife 24 cuts the lowest part 26 of the bight to form tuft legs of substantially the same length. However, I modify the looper bill by incorporating an insert or plate 30 at one side of the bill so that a step is formed at 31 thus insuring that the knife edge as it cuts the pile loop at 32 provides a short leg 33 and a long leg 34. The offset cross sectional shape of the looper as seen in FIGURE 3 may be achieved by means of incorporating an insert 30 in the conventional looper or, if desired, the looper bill may be formed from a single piece of steel initially. In either event, the desired result of providing tuft legs of unequal length, commonly referred to as J tufts, can be achieved.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tufting machine, means for supporting a backing fabric, a yarn carrying needle disposed on one side of said supporting means and adapted to penetrate and to carry a loop of yarn through backing fabric when positioned on said supporting means, a hook disposed on the opposite side of said supporting means from said needle and including a loop penetrating blade adapted to enter loops of yarn presented by said needle, said blade having a cutting edge, a knife having a cutting edge cooperating with said cutting edge of said blade to sever loops of yarn on said blade to form cut pile, and yarn loop engaging means carried by said hook defining the path of a loop of yarn about said blade and positioned in spaced relation to said cutting edge of said hook on the side thereof opposite said knife and in the direction away from said backing fabric and beyond the cutting edge of the hook to lengthen the path of a loop of yarn about said blade and thereby cut the loop at a point other than the middle of the bight.

2. In a pile fabric tufting machine, the combination which comprises a vertical oscillating needle bar, a plurality of needles on said needle bar, a looper oscillatable underneath the needle bar in registry with each of the needles, a cutter associated with one side of each of said loopers, and means including an enlarged section on each looper, said means comprising a lateral offset portion extending along one side of said looper and below said looper to engage the side of a loop remote from the cutting side whereby the loop is cut at a point other than the middle of the bight.

3. A cut pile looper for tufting machines which comprises a bill for said looper, a blade cooperating with one side of the looper to sever yarns engaged around the bill of the looper, and an enlarged section on each bill forming a lateral offset portion on the side of the bill remote from said blade and extending below the bill to engage one side of a loop whereby a substantial portion of the yarn passes around the bill before reaching a cutting zone determined by the contact between the bill and the blade to effect a cutting of the formed yarn loop at a point other than the middle of the bight.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,892,161 Murphey Dec. 27, 1932 2,160,094 Schmiedel May 30, 1939 2,226,631 Miller Dec. 31, 1940 2,285,021 Earp June 2, 1941 2,449,529 Hofman Sept. 14, 1948 2,508,852 Blumfield May 23, 1950 2,800,096 Signoret July 23, 1957 2,982,239 McCutchen May 2, 1961 

1. IN A TUFTING MACHINE, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A BACKING FABRIC, A YARN CARRYING NEEDLE DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND ADAPTED TO PENETRATE AND TO CARRY A LOOP OF YARN THROUGH BACKING FABRIC WHEN POSITIONED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, A HOOK DISPOSED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FROM SAID NEEDLE AND INCLUDING A LOOP PENETRATING BLADE ADAPTED TO ENTER LOOPS OF YARN PRESENTED BY SAID NEEDLE, SAID BLADE HAVING A CUTTING EDGE, A KNIFE HAVING A CUTTING EDGE COOPERATING WITH SAID CUTTING EDGE OF SAID BLADE TO SEVER LOOPS OF YARN ON SAID BLADE TO FORM CUT PILE, AND YARN LOOP ENGAGING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOOK DEFINING THE PATH OF A LOOP OF YARN ABOUT SAID BLADE AND POSITIONED IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID CUTTING EDGE OF SAID HOOK ON THE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID KNIFE AND IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID BACKING FABRIC AND BEYOND THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE HOOK TO LENGTHEN THE PATH OF A LOOP OF YARN ABOUT SAID BLADE AND THEREBY CUT THE LOOP AT A POINT OTHER THAN THE MIDDLE OF THE BIGHT. 